§ Order of the Day read for the consideration of the Second Report from the Select Committee.
§ The Committee reported as follows:
§ 1.—RETIREMENT OF THE CLERK OF THE JOURNALS
§ The Committee learnt with regret of the retirement on April 1, 1960. of Mr. Clifford Fortescue Loftus St. George. C.B.E., after forty-two years in the service of the House and sanctioned the payment to him of a pension and additional allowance under the Superannuation Acts.
§ 2.—RE-ARRANGEMENT OF STAFF IN THE PARLIAMENT OFFICE
§ The Committee were informed that the Clerk of the Parliaments had appointed—
- (a) Mr. Henry Montagu Burrows, C.B.E., the Reading Clerk, to be also Clerk of the Journals in the place of Mr. St. George from April 1, 1960.
- (b) Mr. Peter Stuart-Heaton as Chief Clerk of the Committee and Private Bill Office in the place of Mr. Anthony Henry Jeffreys from April 1, 1960.
- (c) Mr. Euan Douglas Graham as Chief Clerk in the Office of the Lord Chairman of Committees in the place of Mr. Peter Stuart-Heaton from April 1, 1960.
- (d) Honourable John Anthony Roberts as a Clerk in the Parliament Office to fill the
195 vacancy consequent upon the retirement of Mr. St. George. This appointment dates from April 12, 1960. - (e) Mr. Michael Addison John Wheeler-Booth as a Clerk in the Parliament Office in the place of Mr. Peter Henderson who is acting as Secretary to the Leader of the House. This appointment dates from May 16, 1960.
§ The Committee authorised a new post on the staff of the Parliament Office of a higher executive officer from April 1, 1960, and approved the scale of salary for this post.
§ The Committee also sanctioned the payment of an annual allowance to the Personal Assistant acting as Secretary to the Clerk of the Parliaments from April 1, 1960.
§ 3.—EXAMINER OF PETITIONS FOR PRIVATE BILLS
§ The Committee were informed of the appointment of Mr. Peter Stuart-Heaton as Examiner of Petitions for Private Bills in the place of Mr. A. H. Jeffreys.
§ 4.—REVISED SCALES OF PAY
§ The Committee sanctioned the application of Establishments Circular No. 5/60 Executive Officers, Higher Clerical Officers, etc. revised scales of pay to analogous grades of the staff of the House of Lords.
§ The Committee authorised the consequential increase in the Estimates for 1959–60 and 1960–61.
§ 5.—SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATE 1959–60
§ The Committee approved a Supplementary Estimate for the year 1959–60 submitted to meet expected excess expenditure due mainly to revised rates of pay and also to the further provision required for repayment of expenses to Peers.
§ 6.—DEPARTMENT OF THE LORD GREAT CHAMBERLAIN
§ The Committee authorised the appointment of an additional temporary personal assistant in the Office of the Lord Great Chamberlain during the absence on sick leave of one of the clerical staff.
§ 7.—RETIREMENT OF A DOORKEEPER
§ The Committee sanctioned the payment of a pension and additional allowance under the Superannuation Acts to Mr. Gordon Benjamin Wade who retired on the 23rd April, 1960.
§ 8.—RETIREMENT OF A CUSTODIAN
§ The Committee sanctioned the payment of a gratuity under the Superannuation Acts to Mr. Arthur Samuel Emmett on his retirement on the 26th July, 1960.
§ 9.—RETIREMENT OF HEAD HOUSEMAID
§ The Committee sanctioned the payment of a gratuity under the Superannuation Acts to Mrs. Margaret Smith who retired on the 5th March, 1960, after thirty-seven years' service.
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (LORD MERTHYR)My Lords, I beg to move that this Report be now considered.
§ Moved, That the Report be now considered.—(Lord Merthyr.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
LORD MERTHYRMy Lords, I beg to move that this Report be agreed to. In so doing, I think the only thing that I need say at the outset is that perhaps your Lordships would like to be associated with the action of the Committee, who asked me to write to Mr. St. George, lately Clerk of the Journals of this House, conveying to him our thanks for his continuous period of forty-two years' service to the House and our best wishes upon his retirement. If there are any questions which any noble Lord would like to ask about this Report I will do my best to answer them. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Report be agreed to.—(Lord Merthyr.)
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I am quite sure that all Parties in the House will be very glad to associate themselves with the suggestion made of sending a message to Mr. St. George.
LORD REAMy Lords, I should like to echo what the noble Viscount has said. Mr. St. George has given valuable service to members of all Parties and to members of no Party, and we wish him a very happy retirement.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.